Waakirchen reorganizes municipal companies: boost for three major projects - full-time managing director

A new town hall, a housing project for seniors on Westerpoltweg, a restaurant and apartments on the pizzeria site: the municipality of Waakirchen has three major projects on its agenda.

In order to cope with them, the municipal housing association is getting a full-time boss.

Waakirchen –

In two or three years, Waakirchen Mayor Norbert Kerkel (FWG) wants to move into the new town hall with his team.

The walls are basically already there.

As reported, the municipality bought the branch of the Kreissparkasse in Waakirchen in June of this year in order to use the building as an administrative headquarters.

In addition to some conversions, however, an extension for a barrier-free conference room is necessary.

Parallel to the town hall conversion, the municipality is pushing ahead with the realization of a senior citizen facility on Westerpoltweg in Schaftlach.

It's still a matter of determining needs.

On October 5th there was an expert workshop with representatives from senior citizens' facilities and organizations from the area, a public workshop is to follow.

Initial talks with neighboring communities have also taken place.

"First of all, we need numbers," reports Kerkel.

The next step is the concrete planning for a retirement home or apartments for the elderly.

Inn and apartments in Schaftlach

Thirdly, the community wants to move forward with the plans for the Michael-Schreiber-Weg.

In 2021, the municipality bought the former pizzeria building along with the apartment buildings near the train station.

The aim is to create an inn and affordable apartments.

Actually, the draft should have been ready by the end of 2022.

In order to manage the three major projects in parallel, the municipality is now breaking new ground: it is making the municipal company Wohnbaugesellschaft (WBW), which was founded in 2015, more professional.

Luitpold Grabmeyer, who was appointed honorary member of the board in 2018, will become full-time managing director on January 1, 2023.

The WBW managing director will move into his office in the future town hall, i.e. in the district savings bank building.

Familiar territory: Grabmeyer previously worked as a municipal customer advisor at Kreissparkasse Miesbach-Tegernsee.

Experienced expert at the helm of the company

The management of the WBW was previously in the hands of a board of directors consisting of members of the municipal council.

Mayor Kerkel presided.

"Valuable development work could be done with the voluntary commitment during this time, which now makes the step into professionalization possible in the first place," explains Kerkel.

With Grabmeyer, we have succeeded in gaining an experienced expert who is very close to the community for the management: "We are very happy about that."

The municipal company has already successfully implemented a number of projects, most recently the Waakirchner fire station.

However, the team in the town hall could not handle the upcoming major projects with the previous occupation, according to Kerkel: "It's also logical, otherwise someone would have to sit here and wait for work." The municipal council therefore decided to reorganize the WBW.

Whether the municipal company will also operate the new building after construction is decided on a case-by-case basis.

First of all, according to Kerkel, it is time to start with the concrete planning.

This is just the beginning of all three projects.

Cheap housing brings skilled workers

In addition to the major projects, the focus is also on the 40 council apartments, some of which are in dire need of renovation.

You are not yet part of the WBW.

According to Grabmeyer, WBW will be particularly busy with residential construction in the coming years.

The topic has an impact on many important areas, including the job market - for example when it comes to recruiting educators or nurses.